# Time-wasting games for Mac? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190 "2005-11-15T18:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/1 "2005-11-15T18:17:59Z")
I often play Free Cell on my PC while I’m waiting for pages to load. But sometimes I’m on the couch with my PowerBook, and it doesn’t have any games. I know there are RPGs for Mac, but are there any time-wasting games like Free Cell? Are they free downloads? Will they install malware on my Mac? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/2 "2005-11-15T18:41:27Z")
Ambrosia has released an OSX version of [Apeiron](http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/apeironx/). (Best game ever. **EVAR** ) It’s like $15 shareware, but the first 12 levels are free, so you can try it and see if you like it. It’s not a card game, though, it requires intense concentration. But that’s OK because it’s more addictive than crack mixed with sex. My high score is just over 600,000! ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/3 "2005-11-15T18:56:57Z")
My all-time favorite Mac game was Empire Master, version 1.7 (IIRC). Good for 2 hours of time-wasting. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/4 "2005-11-15T19:06:28Z")
Snood! Snood! Wasted many a good hour on my Mac. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/5 "2005-11-15T19:43:58Z")
Time waster, eh? How bout an [in-browser, Flash version of Sonic the Hedgehog?](http://www.filmrot.com/geeklinks/004951.php) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/6 "2005-11-15T21:36:01Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I often play Free Cell on my PC while I’m waiting for pages to load. But sometimes I’m on the couch with my PowerBook, and it doesn’t have any games. I know there are RPGs for Mac, but are there any time-wasting games like Free Cell? Are they free downloads? Will they install malware on my Mac? [Burning Monkey Solitaire.](http://www.freeverse.com/bms2005/) More solitaire than you can stand. Not free, but Freeverse does good stuff. Freeverse’s other titles are just as fun, too. (Malware? Whuzzat? 😉 ). ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/7 "2005-11-15T21:54:27Z")
There is [Eric’s Ultimate Solitare](http://www.deltatao.com/ultimate/) by the same folks who keep promising to release an updated version of [Dark Castle](http://www.deltatao.com/darkcastle/). They also make [Spaceward Ho](http://www.deltatao.com/ho/), which is a pretty decent time waster. ---
**Author:** ![meara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@meara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meara)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/8 "2005-11-15T22:36:17Z")
Check out: [http://games.skunkstudios.com/game\_categories/show/Mac+OS+X](http://games.skunkstudios.com/game_categories/show/Mac+OS+X) QBeez is awesome! I can also vouch for the addictive qualities of Diner Dash, BounceOut and Collapse. If you don’t want to pay, you can play most of those over at [http://games.yahoo.com](http://games.yahoo.com) even though it says that Mac and Unix aren’t supported. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/9 "2005-11-16T00:57:59Z")
Again, not card games, for the most part but you should find something you life if you give it some time. It will help if you have wireless internet while on your couch. [http://jayisgames.com/](http://jayisgames.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/10 "2005-11-16T03:31:12Z")
There’s LexiCastle from [Blippygames](http://www.blippygames.com/). It’s good, but you do have to pay eventually. I forget whether it was limited levels or limited time until you pay… but it is so far the only game I’ve tried that has actually led to me paying for it. Have wasted HOURS with it. They have some other stuff too, not as good IMHO. LexiCastle! Woot! ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/11 "2005-11-16T14:14:48Z")
IMO the best online resource for freeware/shareware (and commercial) games on Mac is [MacGameFiles.com](http://www.macgamefiles.com/). OB ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/12 "2005-11-16T14:36:19Z")
**John** , How’s the movie bizz? Here’s a [games page](http://www.gamehouse.com/onlinegames/) you can play on line. Oh, and [these](http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/games/), and This is my[favorite](http://www.leapfrogsw.com/), but the OSX version is still in development. If you’re running 9.2.2, down load the free trial. You might never work again! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/13 "2005-11-16T15:20:01Z")
NetHack. [NETHACK](http://www.nethack.org)! Of course, once you stop dying so much you may find it becoming unsuitable for playing 5 minutes at a time… you’ll need 10 minutes. And then, an hour. And then, several hours. And then, the whole day 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/14 "2005-11-16T17:05:58Z")
Looks like the _first_ game is to find out what these games _are!_ I haven’t heard of almost all of them! > [@picunurse](#): > > **John** , How’s the movie bizz? Haven’t shot anything in a week. We’re waiting for money. We expect to have some this week from a guy who wants to buy three points. And there was a wedding on Saturday, and a phone call or two from people wanting other work done. The Producer was interviewed by someone from a print medium the other day. The interviewer said she chose to interview her about our project because ours is the best work she’s seen locally. 🙂 Our main Ghost arrived Friday, I think. We have to shoot her quickly, since she’s only here for a limited time. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/15 "2005-11-17T00:32:17Z")
I was about to come in and suggest NETHACK!! But CSharp beat me. So you’d better go download nethack. Now. It’s life-changing. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/16 "2005-11-17T01:55:03Z")
You Are All On My List! Now I’ll Never Get Anything Done! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/17 "2005-11-17T03:51:58Z")
Hey, you asked. Actually, I ascended for the first time in Nethack in the same week that I passed my PhD qualifying exams. I felt more of a sense of victory from the Nethack game than from the exams becasue over the years I’d invested more time toward it. . . ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/18 "2005-11-17T14:45:26Z")
Ambrosia’s games are all pretty sweet. Take a look at the Escape Velocity series, especially the most recent, [EV Nova](http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/). You can waste hours upon hours, and there’s a pretty high replayability factor since you can run pilots through different storylines. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-wasting-games-for-mac/331190/19 "2005-11-17T15:41:57Z")
Not looking to waste hours and hours. Just minutes and minutes as I wait for a page to load. 😉